Metallic hardcore greats Ringworm just wrapped up a tour with Goatwhore, and they've already announced another string of dates... which begin in less than a month! For this tour, they'll be playing 2005's Justice Replaced by Revenge in full for its 10th anniversary. White Widows Pact and Culture Killer will support the band on all dates.

The tour hits NYC on August 18 at Acheron. Tickets will be on sale soon.

All dates are listed, with the video for Just Replaced by Revenge's title track, below...

NOLA metal vets Goatwhore brought their stacked tour with metallic hardcore bands Black Breath and Ringworm and deathgrind newcomers Theories to NYC this week for two shows at Saint Vitus. They took over the venue on Monday (7/6) and Tuesday (7/7), and we've got pictures of the first night.

The stacked metal tour of Goatwhore, Ringworm, Black Breath and Theories lands in NYC tonight (7/6) at Saint Vitus. That show is sold out, but all four bands will be hanging around for a second show on Tuesday (7/7) at the same venue. Tickets for Tuesday's show are on sale.

NOLA metal vets Goatwhore will tour North America this June/July in continued support of last year's Constricting Rage of the Merciless, and they're taking out two great metallic hardcore bands, Ringworm and Black Breath, and deathgrind newcomers Theories.

The tour hits NYC on July 6 at Saint Vitus. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (4/10) at noon. All dates are listed below.

It did start off a little slow, with openers Black Crown Initiate. They weren't bad, but on a bill of bands mostly derived more or less from early hardcore, their love of machine gun breakdowns just felt a bit out of place.

Things shifted into full gear when metallic hardcore greats Ringworm took the stage. They put tracks off their influential 1993 debut, The Promise ("Necropolis") right up against stuff from last year's killer Hammer of the Witch (title track and a couple others), but you wouldn't have guessed the songs were released 21 years apart if you didn't know any better. The whole band tore through every song with insane precision, and singer Human Furnace was basically never not in beast mode. You couldn't possibly stand still for them, and that would be true of each subsequent band as the next five hours flew by.

Next was Iron Reagan, the crossover thrash supergroup, fronted by Municipal Waste shouter Tony Foresta, with the most flat-out fun set of the night. They look and sound straight out of thrash's early days, down to the outfits, hairstyles and stage moves. But with a level of homage approaching parody, and 12-second songs called "Your Kid's An Asshole," it's clear (and refreshing) that Iron Reagan aren't taking this too seriously. That doesn't mean they don't rip though. Their shows are a grin-inducing nostalgia trip, but also every riff and every drum fill is tight, locked in, and bold as fuck. Don't look to Iron Reagan if you want groundbreaking, but their shows are unmissable if you want a helluva good time.

Then came California death vets Exhumed, who are about to release a re-recorded version of their 1998 classic debut, Gore Metal (which they half-jokingly apologized for on stage), and they played a good chunk of that album. It was their first NYC show since new bassist/growler Matt "Slime" Ferri joined, and while I'm not the best judge for this stuff (death growls aren't usually my thing -- band leader Matt Harvey's higher-pitched shrieks are much more my speed), he seemed to carry his weight and mesh with Harvey well. There was no doubting that Harvey is a master though. He shined as a frontman, and maybe even more so when he made his way to the edge of the stage for some terrific soloing.

The place noticeably turned up when the first of the two co-headliners, Voivod, took the stage. The crowd packed in closer, the mosh pits got fuller, and chants of "VOI! VOD! VOI! VOD!" punctuated songs. Frontman Snake took the first of those chants as an opportunity to introduce their new bass player, Rocky, who replaced original bassist Blacky last year ("We love him so much... he's greasy"). He fit the band well -- younger guy in a tight Motorhead t-shirt who certainly knew his way around a bass, and really did seem to feel right at home with the other members. But of course the real star of their set was Snake. That dude is ageless, maniacally fronting the band like they're still a bunch of young punks. They gave us classics from their prime '80s era, right up through new single "We Are Connected" off their upcoming split with At the Gates, and all of it crushed. Their set (like all of the night's sets) was encore-less, and the crowd really didn't want them to go.

That high didn't subside at all when Napalm Death came on to give us yet another set from a band with over three decades behind them and zero signs of slowing down. They had a fill-in for guitarist Mitch Harris, and though it would've been nicer to see them with Mitch, lead screamer Barney Greenway called the fill-in a "virtuoso" and it was hard to disagree. His playing was razor sharp, and from the crowd's apeshit reaction to the entire set, I don't think anyone was getting too picky about who they had up there. Part of that was also probably due to the fact that all eyes were mostly on Barney, who was in a literal frenzy for the entirety of the set. ND were supporting their new album, Apex Predator - Easy Meat, and while some people see bands this far into their career strictly for the classics, the new songs were actually highlights of the all-killer set. Sure it got wild for "Scum" and their version of Dead Kennedys' "Nazi Punks Fuck Off," but this was no nostalgia set. Barney ran around stage all night in a Swans t-shirt, which is pretty apt. Like Swans, Napalm Death's groundbreaking beginnings took place in the '80s, but they're still making vital music and putting on brutal live shows in the '10s.

More pictures from most of the show (our photographer missed Ringworm and Black Crown Initiate), and some videos from the show, below...

There's yet another absolutely loaded, must-catch, all-star metal tour on the horizon, giving metalheads still more reason to get excited about 2015. Napalm Death, Voivod, Exhumed, Iron Reagan, and Black Crown Initiate are joining forces for the "Through Space and Grind" tour. This is just an absurdly stacked bill, and as if you needed more reason to go, they'll also be joined by Ringworm, Dayglo Abortions, Theories, and Phobia on select dates. These bands run the gamut from absolutely legendary to young and on-the-rise, from death-grind to political thrash, and they all have a reputation as absolute crushers in the live setting.

The tour will make a stop in NYC at Gramercy Theater on February 2, where Ringworm will mercifully be on the bill. Tickets for that show will be on sale Friday (11/7) at 10 AM. All dates are listed below.

All of these bands have been varying degrees of busy lately. Napalm Death have been playing festivals and touring internationally all year. Voivod released an album last year and have been playing some festival gigs in 2014. Iron Reagan, featuring "Landphil" Hall of Cannabis Corpse and Municipal Waste, and otherwise known as the busiest man in metal, have a new album out and released a split on Tankcrimes with tourmates Exhumed earlier this year. Ringworm dropped a ripper this year too.

All dates listed, along with a stream of the Iron Reagan/Exhumed split EP, a video of Napalm Death playing live in Chile earlier this year, Voivod's video for "Target Earth" and the Ringworm LP stream, below...

It looks like Code Orange Kids have all grown up, because they've just announced their new album, I Am King, and it's set to come out under the name Code Orange. (So far this sounds better than when the Beach Boys contemplated going as just "Beach.") The new record was recorded and engineered by Converge's Kurt Ballou and it will be out on September 2 via Deathwish. No music is out from it yet, but check out the album artwork and tracklist below.

Code Orange were supposed to play Cambridge's Deathwish Fest in July, but dropped off. They don't have any plans to play NYC at the moment, but they do have a short tour with Killswitch Engage and Ringworm around the time all three bands play Philly's This Is Hardcore that stops by the NYC-area on July 20 at The Loft in Poughkeepsie. Maybe seeing Code Orange and Ringworm in Poughkeepsie with Killswitch (and After the Burial) isn't your ideal way of seeing them, but if you're planning on making the trip up there, you can get tix. All dates are listed below.

Future tour matesEyehategod and Enabler are currently streaming their new albums in full. Both bands -- along with the raging Ringworm who beat both to the full stream punch by a few months -- will embark on an extensive run through the Eastern half of the US following their appearances at Maryland Deathfest.

For NOLA sludge legends Eyehategod, the eponymous outing that's set to drop on May 27 via Housecore Records (preorder) marks their first album in 14 years and final with drummer Joey LaCaze who passed away in 2013. The Pitchfork-housed stream gets going straight from the gate, setting the pace with "Agitation! Propaganda!" and never letting up over the next ten tracks. For a band known to jam, often riding stretched out riffs and feedback whip-cracks, Eyehategod is rather free of fat. Only two songs eclipse the four minute mark, showcasing a lean, poisoned idea of punk-esque focus.

And that snarl makes Enabler a great fit as a bill companion. The Milwaukee trio's Fin Absolue Du Monde, also due out on May 27 by way of the Compound (preorder), crustily rumbles while dark melodies crash below the tumult. The LP, streaming below, follows two 2013 EPs and continues on with the group's synthesis of Swedish rolling core and the unholy buzz of Clevo killers such as the classic, you guessed it, Ringworm.

Which is why this is a neat-ass tour. There's a definite sonic through-line connecting all three bands, even if they would appear to clash on paper. Of course, the true unifier is everyone's endless stage energy. All of the above have a knack for making shows explode into cathartic releases of pent up fury. From the May 28 Atlanta, Georgia kick-off to the June 25 Pensacola, Florida finale, the troika of terror will certainly lay all stops to waste. It hits NYC on June 7 at Europa with Shitkill and lands in Chicago a few days later. Tickets for the NYC show are still available.

All dates are listed, with the Enabler LP stream, plus song streams from Eyehategod and Ringworm, below...

Rumors of an Eyehategod / Ringworm / Enabler tour in support of the former's upcoming self-titled album (their first in almost 15 years) have been floating around for a few days now, but it's now officially been announced. The three bands will take to the road in North America from late May through late June, shortly after EHG complete a brief run of West Coast and festival dates.

The tour will hit NYC on 6/7 at Europa -- not my first choice for venue, but this lineup will destroy no matter what the surroundings. Tickets aren't on sale yet, but will be available at this link soon. All dates are listed below.

This Is Hardcore returns to Philly's Electric Factory from July 24-27 and as usual it's got a great lineup spanning generations of hardcore including Converge, Title Fight, Madball, Blacklisted, Bl'ast, Code Orange Kids, Nails, Noisem, Power Trip, Incendiary, Full of Hell, Crowbar, Coke Bust, Ringworm and many more. Tickets for the festival go on sale April 12 via the festival's website.

Full lineup, with a playlist of all bands playing and the announcement video, below...

We are still recovering from SXSW (it was a blast, and we know you don't feel bad for us) but did manage to post photos of our Invisible Oranges showcase featuring Black Tusk, Mutoid Man, Kayo Dot, Yautja, Wild Throne, and Venemous Maximus. Check 'em out, and let us know if you went in the comments.

Despite the aforementioned SXSW hangover there were plenty of heavy happenings this week, which turned out to be a great week for new music. Black/grey metal kings Agalloch streamed a new song, "Celestial Effigy" off of their forthcoming album The Serpent & The Sphere, which is due out on May 19 on Profound Lore. After 2010's blistering Marrow of the Spirit, "Celestial Effigy" takes a step back towards an earlier Agalloch sound -- it has a similar lilt to "Hallways of Enchanted Ebony" at times. Give it a listen over at Pitchfork.

It happened late last week so it didn't make our HLD, but Tom G. Warrior's (Celtic Frost) Triptykon dropped two absurdly awesome and heavy tracks on everyone without any warning. Give them a listen below, and give a listen to another new Triptykon track that the band recently performed live. Triptykon's new album Melana Chasmata is out on April 15.

We premiered new Sargeist over at Invisible Oranges -- it's filthy, necro sounding black metal of the highest caliber. Look for Sargeist and the related, also Finnish bands Behexen and One Tail, One Head at the loaded Martyrdoom Fest at Saint Vitus from June 27 through July 1. Tickets are still available.

Metallica played a new song, "Lords of Summer," live in Colombia at the beginning of the week, and a couple of days later, a "Garage Demo" version of the song was posted to Youtube. Give it a listen it below.

As usual, there are a few good shows to check out this weekend. Tonight (3/21) at Saint Vitus, loud as hell creepsThe Body play with Theologian and Couch Slut , and on Sunday (3/23) NOLA sludge mastersThou invade Vitus with support from black metal acts Anicon and Vorde and the punked-out Skelptarsis. Tickets to both shows are on sale. Over at The Acheron on Saturday (3/22), Swedish old-school death crew Obliteration will level the place with help from Fantom Warior, Flesh Temple and Iron Force. Tickets are on sale.

Deafheaven front man George Clarke announced he created a record label called All Black Recording Company that will focus on underground releases. The first release will be Oakland d-beat/metal band Black Monolith's debut LP.

Sorority Noise, who you may have just caught on tour with Special Explosion, Teen Suicide, and Alex G, will follow 2013's Young Luck EP with their first full length, Forgettable, on May 13. It comes out in the US jointly via Evan Weiss' (Into It. Over It.) Storm Chasers and Derrick Shanholtzer's (TWIABP) Broken World Media, and will get a European release via Dog Knight (Nai Harvest, Playlounge). The record's first single, "Rory Shield," recalls the '90s power pop emo of bands like The Promise Ring and Knapsack, and that can be downloaded for free above or streamed below. Album artwork and tracklist below too.

The Connecticut band has a show in their hometown on Wednesday (3/26), which is the CT stop of the Solids / Pachangacha tour. After that, they'll play a few other Northeast dates with related band Old Gray and NJ emo noodlers Prawn, including the Property of Zack-presented pre-show to the Mixtape Festival. That show takes place at Amityville Music Hall (3/28) and also includes Slingshot Dakota, Cryptodira and PetalTickets are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

Meanwhile, the Mixtape Festival also takes place on Long Island from March 29-30 at 89 North and includes Bane, Ringworm, Pentimento, Koji, Counterparts and more (tickets).

All Sorority Noise dates are listed, with the song stream, LP artwork and tracklist, below...

As mentioned, Cleveland metallic hardcore greats Ringworm are releasing their new LP Hammer of the Witch on March 18. It's a ferocious album--here's a bit of what we had to say about it over on Invisible Oranges:

Ringworm's latest, Hammer Of The Witch (Relapse Records), is an aural-back-alley-street-fight of a record; 13 tracks, not a single fuck given. The recording mix is perfect, with both guitars matched evenly against a machine-precision rhythm section. Vocal institution Human Furnace is still full of piss and vinegar, as song titles like "Leave Your Skin At The Door" and "One Of Us Is Going To Have To Die..." can attest. Blast beats and wailing solos interweave with brutal riffs, elevating the songs from basic hardcore workouts to something even more sinister. Even if you hear an obvious lead-up to a breakdown, it still hits like a sledgehammer each time. Too many bands of this style try to write songs around breakdowns instead of the other way around, and it keeps a lot of them lumped together in the generic hardcore bin.

Ringworm will also be embarking on a tour with Death Before Dishonor at the end of the month. It doesn't hit NYC but will be nearby for a Long Island show at 89 North on March 30. Tickets for that show are not on sale yet, but you can check Ticketfly for updates. All dates are listed, with the stream of Hammer of the Witch, below...

South by Southwest. Maybe you've heard of it. Anyway, it starts in about a week, turning Austin, TX into one giant cacophonous concert where you can't swing a free canvas tote bag full of complimentary energy drinks without hitting a musician vying for your attention. It's actually pretty fun -- apart from the wasted spring breakers everywhere -- but it can be overwhelming. In an effort to help, we've already highlighted metal at SXSW and given you 10 NYC artists that we think are worth seeing, and here's a list of 50 artists we're excited to see at SXSW from all over the world (a few cross over from those other two lists). More than a few are playing one of BV's many events in Austin this week -- and if you're going, do stop by.

We know most people are NOT going to SXSW (and if you're in that group, you may be sick of hearing about it already), but many of these acts are touring around the US on either side of SXSW so it's maybe worth a gander too. We've also got a handy Rdio playlist with a song from each artist.

An embedded version of that playlist, plus our list of 50 artists we wanna see at SXSW (in alphabetical order), below...

On Wednesday (3/13), it's the first of four Converse x Thrasher Death Match day parties at the Scoot Inn (1308 E 4th St) from noon to 6 across two stages with heavy representation from Earthless and The Shrine, plus some fun non-metal like Black Lips, Trash Talk (who also play the free Thursday BV party at Red 7), Cherry Glazerr and more. Free to the public.

Stereofly is also throwing a free party at Javelina Bar (69 Rainey St) with Yautja, Primitive Man, Gnarwhal and more.

There's also a not-free Heavy Metal Parking Lot day-into-night party at The Lost Well (2421 Webberville Rd) with Wino's reformedSpirit Caravan, The Shrine, Kylesa, Lazer/Wulf, Truckfighters and more. You can get advance tickets to that one.

Wednesday night, Relapse Records (who signed Iron Reagan, who do play SXSW but not this show) throws their showcase at The Dirty Dog (505 E. 6th St) with Windhand, Christian Mistress, Nothing, Obliteration, Primitive Man and Pyrrhon. You can also catch Nothing for free at the Thursday BV party at Red 7 which Trash Talk is also playing.

Not far from there, Roadhouse Management / Nuclear Blast Records will be presenting their showcase inside at Red 7 (611 E. 7th St) with Orchid, Kadavar, Scropion Child, BP Fallon & the Bandits, Mothership, Sweat Lodge and The Well. (Not metal, but outside at that same venue on the same night is our BrooklynVegan showcase. And hey, there are some heavier bands like Touche Amore and Frameworks on the bill.)

Also on Wednesday night, you can catch Wrekmeister Harmonies at Remedy (209B W. 5th St) with a non-metal lineup of Sean Nicholas Savage, Audacity, Tyvek and more.

We do of course hope you come, but you can also catch Scale the Summit, The Ocean, Rivers of Nihil, Felix Martin, Vattnet Viskar, The Atlas Moth and Silver Snakes at the Metal Injection showcase at the Dirty Dog (505 E. 6th St).

During the day on Friday, New England Metal & Hardcore Fest also has a free party at G Pen Annex (corner of 6th and Red River) with Xibalba, Alpha & Omega, Comeback Kid, Backtrack, Counterparts, Downpresser and more.

That night, MetalSucks puts on their showcase at The Dirty Dog (505 E. 6th St), headlined by Animals as Leaders, and also featuring sets by After the Burial, Ringworm, Iron Reagan, Mutoid Man, Whores and East of the Wall.

The last day of the free Converse x Thrasher Death Match parties happens on Saturday (3/15), and though there's no metal at all on this one, you can still rage to Perfect Pussy and Diarrhea Planet.

And if you've got a badge, you can check out some of the metal panels during the day, including From Riffs to Bits with James Williamson (The Stooges) and Buzz Osborne (Melvins) on Friday at 12:30 PM, and Has Metal Lost Its Edge? with Brandon Stosuy (Pitchfork), Chris Gigg (Woe), Emilie Friedlander (The Fader), former BrooklynVegan contributor Fred Pessaro (Noisey), and Kim Kelly (Pitchfork) on Thursday at 3:30 PM.

That's a good amount of choices of the heavy persuasion for this year's SXSW, but if you're trying to narrow down the things you want to catch, we've put together a list of 11 metal bands we're looking forward to seeing. Check out that list (in alphabetical order) and along with flyers and set times for the above-mentioned shows, below...

As we've mentioned, the IO-co-presentedA389 Tenth Anniversary Bash will begin in Baltimore this Thursday (1/16) with a Ringworm set at Sidebar, along with support from Frightened Teeth, Pharaoh, Occultist, and Apalling Infection. The fest goes through Saturday and also features sets from Infest, Full of Hell, Iron Reagan, Integrity, All Out War, Bloodlet and many more. Whole-fest pass options and individual show tickets are available via A389's site.

Ringworm have also announced a March 18 release date for their upcoming album Hammer of the Witch, which you can preorder from Relapse Records here. The band will kick off a co-headlining tour in support of the album with Death Before Dishonor on March 29; no NYC date, but they'll hit Long Island at Patchogue, NY's 89 North on 3/30. Keep an eye out for tix; stream Hammer of the Witch's title track and check out the full run of dates below.

Another A389-related tidbit: classic-era metalcore stalwarts Bloodlet, who will perform a one-time reunion set in Baltimore this weekend, have unveiled a 20-year-old demo track entitled "Embrace." You can stream it below, along with the remastered version of their classic Entheogen. Both will be available as a 7" through A389 on February 7.

If that wasn't enough, the new Systems Overload-lineup Integrity song we mentioned a few weeks back, "7th Revelation: Beyond The Realm Of The VVitch," is now streaming in full via Decibel. The same lineup will be performing at the A389 bash as well. You can stream the song below.

Check out both Bloodlet streams, the new Ringworm tune, and the full run of Ringworm dates below...

Invisible Oranges threw two sold-out CMJ bashes last week -- the first (10/17) featured HASJ, Aksumite, Primitive Man, Ringworm, and Pelican on Thursday (10/17), while the second spotlit Pyrrhon, Phantom Glue, Wreck & Reference, Kings Destroy, Sannhet, and Pelican (again) on Friday (10/18, right after the BV day party). We also had an late-night afterparty show on Friday featuring Flown, Aksumite, Phantom Glue, and Ramming Speed.

We've got a huge collection of pictures and video of all three shows over at Invisible Oranges. You can scope out some of the pics and vids in this post from both our official showcase and head to IO for the full collection.

We just announced over at metal blog Invisible Oranges that the mighty Ringworm will be the aforementioned "Special Guest" on the Invisible Oranges CMJ Showcase on 10/17 at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn with Pelican, Primitive Man, Aksumite, and HASJ. If you can't make that show, the very next night Invisible Oranges is hosting a second night at Saint Vitus (10/18) with Pelican, Sannhet, Kings Destroy, Wreck & Reference, Phantom Glue, and Pyrhhon. Or come to both. It will be a fun two nights--hope to see you there.

As we've mentioned recently, Cleveland metallic hardcore journeymen Ringworm will be taking their show on the road for much of October in support of their upcoming EP. That EP, Bleed, is now streaming over at Noisey. You can hear it in this post.

Bleed will come out on September 17 via Relapse Records. Preorder it here. You can also take a look at Ringworm's fall dates with Call of the Void and Howl below. Again, they'll hit Saint Vitus on October 3, with Baltimore thrashers Noisem in tow. Tickets are available now.

Cleveland's Ringworm have completed a new three-song 10-inch for their new label home, Relapse Records. The effort, Bleed, will see release on September 17.

Look for the band to hit the road for a swing of dates with Howl and Call of the Void thereafter, hitting the Northeast/Midwest for shows including October 3 at Saint Vitus with death metal wunderkind Noisem. Ticketing info is on the way If you need your Ringworm fix before that, head down to Baltimore on Friday for A389 Summer Extermination) with will also feature Municipal Waste, Full of Hell, Power Trip and more. Full tour schedule and Ringworm audio is below....

In the meantime, A389 is gearing up for "Summer Extinction" in Baltimore, MD on August 16. Featuring a headlining appearance from Ringworm, look for Municipal Waste, Noisem, Power Trip, Full of Hell and Impalers (part of their tour with Vaaska) to all join in on the mayhem. Flyer for the show is below.

As mentioned, ever-evolving punks Ceremony are set to play this year's This Is Hardcore festival in Philly (they play on 8/10) alongside Kid Dynamite, The Suicide File, Modern Life Is War, Judge, Blacklisted, Tragedy, 7 Seconds, Paint It Black, Code Orange Kids, Nails, Defeater, No Redeeming Social Value, Gwar, and more. Head to TiH's site for tickets. Updated lineup and schedule below.

Around the time of that festival, they'll be doing some other East Coast shows with Baltimore post-punk duo Ed Schrader's Music Beat. Those shows include one in Brooklyn on August 17 at 285 Kent, one in NJ on August 14 at Asbury Lanes, and a little farther out from NYC, they'll also play The El 'n' Gee on August 16 in New London, CT, but it might be worth the drive considering Joyce Manor and Glocca Morra are on that bill too. (It's also a day after Joyce Manor play a free NYC show at House of Vans with Kid Dynamite, Red Hare, and Swearin'). Tickets for the 285 Kent and El 'n' Gee shows go on sale Friday (6/21) at noon, and tickets for the Asbury Lanes show are on sale now.

You can also catch Ed Schrader's Music Beat in NYC even sooner at Death by Audio on June 28 with The Hussy, Barkley's Barnyard Critters (feat. Brian Gibson of Lightning Bolt), and Shark Muffin. Admission for that show is $7 at the door.

Ceremony have a few other coming shows, like one of those free Converse shows in San Francisco, which they'll play on June 27 with Suicidal Tendencies, Rocket from the Crypt, The Bronx, and the Shrine. All dates are listed, along with a few videos, below.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the Cleveland hardcore veterans and BV-SXSW alums on their signing to the venerable Relapse Records. So far details on the new LP remain scarce, but when that changes we'll let you know.